Fairfield, CT - The Club Football Team took on the George Mason Patriots, the NCFA National Championship Runner-up from the year before, at home on October 1st. The first NCFA  game for the Pioneers in the 2022 campaign. The well coached Patriots traveled from Virginia to begin their NCFA season as well. The game kicked off at 7 pm with the Patriots receiving. Both teams exchanged punts before the Patriots took over at midfield. After Freshman OLB Teighan Jeremy brought down a reverse in the backfield for a loss, the very next play Freshman Linebacker Briant Johnson interecepted a pass to give the Pioneers back the ball. The Pioneers put together a solid drive but ending up stalling inside the 25 yard line on a 4th and 11 - turning the ball back over to the Patriots after a 4th and 11 failed conversion. The Patriots got the ball back on the 26 yard line - where they drove 74 yards for a touchdown. A successful PAT made the score 7-0 after 1 quarter.

The Pioneers started the second quarter with a bang! Sophomore RB Marc-Andre Thermitus received the snap and took the ball 65 yards down the right sideline for the Pioneers first score of the game. After a failed PAT, the score was 7-6 Patriots. The Patriots got the ball and took the ball downfield before they were ultimately stopped on a 4th down and turned the ball over on downs. After a Pioneer punt, they Patriots got the ball back around the 40 yard line. The Patriots QB threw a strike to their WR just over midfield but the ball was ripped out of his hands by Teighan Jeremy and recovered by Sophomore LB Gianni Walsh. After a few plays - the ball found Thermitus's hands again, and he darted to the left pylon for his second touchdown of the quarter. A successful 2 point conversion pass from Thomas Hurley to Teigham Jeremy made the score 14-7. The Patriots took the next kickoff, and marched down the field. They found themselves inside the 5 yard line, when the Patriots QB found a Patriots WR open just over the goal line for their second touchdown of the quarter. A couple of punts and a last second heave to the endzone solidified the halftime score at 14-14.

The Pioneers received the second half kickoff and put together a 14 play, 53 yard touchdown drive capped by a 3 yard touchdown run by Senior RB David DePalma. DePalma also scored the 2 point conversion to make the score 22-14. The Patriots got the ball back and went the length of hte field before being stopped on 4th down. The next play, the Patriots got the ball back after a bizarre play in the Pioneers backfield lead to DePalma lateraling the ball toward Hurley when a Patriot defender jumped on it. Three plays later, the Patriots scored but failed on the ensuing 2 point play making the score 22-20.

Both teams exchanged punts before the Pioneers had the ball inside the opposing teams 20 yard line but were stoned by a great Patriots defense. Both teams would then proceed to have several 4 and outs - turning the ball over on downs before the Pioneers were able to make the last big play of the game on defense - allowing the offense to run the clock out. The final score - Pioneers 22 - Patriots 20. The Pioneers head down to Baltimore this upcoming weekend to face off against the Eagles of Coppin State University. Kickoff is at 1 pm.